Simple and sensitive determination of Cr (III), Cu (II) and Pb (II) in tea infusions using AgNPs-modified resin combined with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

The detection of heavy metals in tea infusions is important because of the potential health risks associated with their consumption. Existing highly sensitive detection methods pose challenges because they are complicated and time-consuming. In this study, we developed an innovative and simple method using Ag nanoparticles-modified resin (AgNPs-MR) for pre-enrichment prior to laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the simultaneous analysis of Cr (III), Cu (II), and Pb (II) in tea infusions. Signal enhancement using AgNPs-MR resulted in amplification with limits of detection of 0.22 µg L-1 for Cr (III), 0.33 µg L-1 for Cu (II), and 1.25 µg L-1 for Pb (II). Quantitative analyses of these ions in infusions of black tea from various brands yielded recoveries ranging from 83.3% to 114.5%. This method is effective as a direct and highly sensitive technique for precisely quantifying trace concentrations of heavy metals in tea infusions.

Acupotomy combined with metformin hydrochloride tablet for type 2 diabetes mellitus and its effect on serum inflammatory factors. / é’ˆåˆ€è”åˆç›é ¸äºŒç”²åŒèƒç‰‡æ²»ç–—2åž‹ç³–å°¿ç— çš„ä¸´åºŠç–—æ•ˆåŠå¯¹è¡€æ¸ ç‚Žæ€§å› å­å«é‡çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupotomy combined with metformin hydrochloride tablet for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its effect on serum levels of inflammatory factors. METHODS: A total of 68 patients with T2DM were randomized into an acupotomy group (34 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a western medication group (34 cases, 2 cases dropped out). Metformin hydrochloride tablet was given orally in the western medication group, 0.5-1 g each time, twice a day, for continuous 8 weeks. On the basis of the treatment in the western medication group, acupotomy was applied at bilateral Geshu (BL 17), Weiwanxiashu (EX-B 3), Ganshu (BL 18) in the acupotomy group, once a week for continuous 8 weeks. Before and after treatment, in the two groups, blood glucose (fasting blood glucose [FBG], 2-hour plasma glucose [2 h PG] and glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c]), TCM syndrome score, blood lipids (total cholesterol [TC], triglyceride [TG], low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] and high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]), insulin (fasting insulin [FINS] and 2-hour insulin [2 h INS]), C-peptide indexes (fasting C-peptide [FC-P] and 2-hour C-peptide [2 h C-P]), dosage of metformin hydrochloride tablet and diabetes specific quality of life (DSQL) score were observed, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17 were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: After treatment, the FBG, 2 h PG, HbA1c, TCM syndrome scores, TC, TG, LDL-C, FINS, 2 h INS, FC-P, 2 h C-P, DSQL scores as well as the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17 were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01), HDL-C was increased compared with that before treatment (P<0.01) in the two groups; the dosage of metformin hydrochloride tablet was decreased compared with that before treatment in the acupotomy group (P<0.01). After treatment, in the acupotomy group, the FBG, HbA1c, TCM syndrome score, TC, TG, LDL-C, FINS, 2 h INS, FC-P, 2 h C-P, dosage of metformin hydrochloride tablet, DSQL score as well as the serum level of TNF-α were lower than those in the western medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acupotomy combined with metformin hydrochloride tablet can improve the blood glucose, clinical symptoms and quality of life in patients with T2DM, its mechanism may be related to the regulation of inflammatory reaction.

Artemdubinoids A-N: novel sesquiterpenoids with antihepatoma cytotoxicity from Artemisia dubia.

In pursuit of effective agents for hepatocellular carcinoma derived from the Artemisia species, this study built upon initial findings that an ethanol (EtOH) extract and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the aerial parts of Artemisia dubia Wall. ex Bess. exhibited cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells with inhibitory rates of 57.1% and 84.2% (100 µg·mL-1), respectively. Guided by bioactivity, fourteen previously unidentified sesquiterpenes, artemdubinoids A-N (1-14), were isolated from the EtOAc fraction. Their structural elucidation was achieved through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and corroborated by the comparison between the experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Single crystal X-ray diffraction provided definitive structure confirmation for artemdubinoids A, D, F, and H. Artemdubinoids A and B (1-2) represented unique sesquiterpenes featuring a 6/5-fused bicyclic carbon scaffold, and their putative biosynthetic pathways were discussed; artemdubinoid C (3) was a novel guaianolide derivative that might be formed by the [4 + 2] Diels-Alder reaction; artemdubinoids D and E (4-5) were rare 1,10-seco-guaianolides; artemdubinoids F-K (6-11) were chlorine-containing guaianolides. Eleven compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against three human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep-1) with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values spanning 7.5-82.5 µmol·L-1. Artemdubinoid M (13) exhibited the most active cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 14.5, 7.5 and 8.9 µmol·L-1 against the HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep-1 cell lines, respectively, which were equivalent to the positive control, sorafenib.

Acupuncture Alleviates Chronic Ischemic White Matter Injury in SHR Rats via JNK-NMDAR Circuit.

To study the protective mechanism of acupuncture at "Jiangya Recipe" on chronic ischemic white matter injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the regulation of Jun N-terminal kinase-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (JNK-NMDAR) loop. A hypertensive white matter injury model was established in 46 male SHR rats aged 11 weeks by bilateral common carotid artery tapering (SHR-2VGO). In the SHR sham operation group, only bilateral common carotid arteries were isolated and in the SHR-2VGO modeling group, 36 rats were used for microcoil spring clip implantation to narrow the common carotid arteries and then, after 2 weeks of modeling, rats with impaired motor function were removed, and SHR-2VGO rats with successful final models were randomly divided into the model group, JNK blocking group, and acupuncture group. The sham operation group, model group, and JNK blocking group underwent the same grasping fixation, and the acupuncture group received acupuncture at acupoints "Jiangya Fang" once daily. In the JNK blocker group, an injection cannula was implanted into the lateral ventricle and sp600125 was injected into the lateral ventricle at 4.5 ul/day for 4 weeks. One week after the end of the intervention, white matter lesions were detected by MRI DWI and T2 imaging, and the learning and memory ability of rats was tested by Y-Maze and Passive Avoidance. Myelin density was detected by luxol fast blue (LFB) staining, also axon arrangement, myelin integrity, and thickness of neurons were detected by electron microscopy; neuronal morphology and the number of Nissl bodies in the hippocampus were detected by Nissl staining, dendritic spine density changes were detected by Golgi staining, and JNK, NMDAR1, and N-methyl-D-receptor 2B (NMDAR2B) in DG, CA3 region of hippocampus were detected by immunohistochemistry, protein expression of p-JNK/JNK, p-NMDAR1/NMDAR1, NMDAR2B, GSK3ß protein expression in the fimbria of hippocampus was detected by Western blot. The Y maze test of SHR-2VGO+Acu and SHR-2VGO+ sp600125 group showed that the spontaneous alternating reaction rate increased significantly. At the same time, the incubation period increased significantly and the number of errors decreased significantly in Passive Avoidance. MRI T2WI showed that the white matter high signal of the corpus callosum, internal capsule and hippocampal fimbria in the SHR-2VGO+ sp600125 and SHR-2VGO+Acu groups was significantly lower than that in the SHR-2VGO model group, and the striatum and anterior commissure were not obvious. DWI showed that the SHR-2VGO model group had scattered high signal and limited diffusion movement in both the internal capsule and striatum, but the difference between groups was not obvious. Compared with SHR-2VGO rats, LFB staining of SHR-2VGO + sp600125 and SHR-2VGO +Acu groups showed significant relaxation of myelin porosity in corpus callosum, striatum, inner capsule, anterior commissure and hippocampal fimbria, and electron microscopy showed improved axonal myelin integrity and thickness in corpus callosum region. Also, the number of blue patchy Nissl bodies increased, and the number and complexity of dendritic spines increased significantly in Golgi staining. Immunohistochemical detection showed that JNK levels in DG and CA3 region were increased and NMDAR1 and NMDAR2B levels were decreased in SHR-2VGO+Acu and SHR-2VGO+ sp600125 groups. Meanwhile, protein expressions of GSK3ß, NMDAR1/p-NMDAR1 and NMDAR2B in fimbria of hippocampus were increased, and JNK/P-JNK protein expression decreased. Acupuncture can increase the density and thickness of myelin sheath in white matter areas of corpus callosum, anterior commissure and hippocampal fimbria, increase the number and length of hippocampal neuronal dendrites, and improve hypertensive white matter injury and cognitive decline through JNK-NMDAR pathway.

Determinants affecting the blood mercury levels of preschool children in Shanghai, China: A cross-sectional study.

Infants and children are vulnerable to mercury (Hg)-induced toxicity, which has detrimental effects on their neurological development. This study measured blood Hg levels (BMLs) and identified potential factors influencing BMLs, including demographic and socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, and daily dietary habits, among 0 to 7-year-old children in Shanghai. Our study recruited 1474 participants, comprising 784 boys and 690 girls. Basic demographic and lifestyle information were obtained and blood Hg were analyzed using the Direct Mercury Analyzer 80. The blood Hg concentrations of children in Shanghai ranged from 0.01 to 17.20 µg/L, with a median concentration of 1.34 µg/L. Older age, higher familial socioeconomic status, higher residential floors, and a higher frequency of consuming aquatic products, rice, vegetables, and formula milk were identified as risk factors. Other potential influencing factors including the mother's reproductive history (gravidity and parity), smoking (passive smoking), supplementation of fish oil and calcium need to be further investigated. These findings can be useful in establishing appropriate interventions to prevent children's high blood Hg concentrations in Shanghai and other similar metropolitan cities.

VvPL15 Is the Core Member of the Pectate Lyase Gene Family Involved in Grape Berries Ripening and Softening.

The process of ripening and softening in grape begins at veraison and is closely related to the depolymerization of pectin components. A variety of enzymes are involved in pectin metabolism and one class of enzyme, pectin lyases (PLs), have been reported to play an important role in softening in many fruits; however, little information is available on the VvPL gene family in grape. In this study, 16 VvPL genes were identified in the grape genome using bioinformatics methods. Among them, VvPL5, VvPL9, and VvPL15 had the highest expression levels during grape ripening, which suggests that these genes are involved in grape ripening and softening. Furthermore, overexpression of VvPL15 affects the contents of water-soluble pectin (WSP) and acid-soluble pectin (ASP) in the leaves of Arabidopsis and significantly changes the growth of Arabidopsis plants. The relationship between VvPL15 and pectin content was further determined by antisense expression of VvPL15. In addition, we also studied the effect of VvPL15 on fruit in transgenic tomato plants, which showed that VvPL15 accelerated fruit ripening and softening. Our results indicate that VvPL15 plays an important role in grape berry softening during ripening by depolymerizing pectin.

New Glycerolipids from the Traditional Chinese Medicine of Syngnathus acus (Hai-Long).

Two new glycerolipids, syngaculipids A and B (1 and 2), one first naturally occurring metabolite (8), together with five known compounds (3-7) were isolated from the AcOEt fraction of Syngnathus acus L. (Hai-Long). Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectral analyses involving UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra and ECD calculations. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against A549 and HCT-116 cell lines. Compound 8 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 34.5 and 38.9 µM on the A549 and HCT-116 cell lines, respectively.

Neuromuscular control strategies of the lower limb during a typical Tai Chi brush knee and twist step in practitioners with and without knee pain: a pilot study.

As a complex movement, Tai Chi (TC) could be challenging for knee control, and the compensatory changes in TC biomechanics of knee pain patients are unknown. The Brush Knee and Twist Step (BKTS) is a typical TC movement that involves basic leg motion repeated in the whole TC. This pilot study examined electromyography and retro-reflective marker trajectory data to investigate neuromuscular control strategies of the lower extremity during BKTS in TC practitioners with and without knee pain. Twelve experienced TC practitioners with (n = 6) and without knee pain (n = 6) participated. Our results revealed that knee pain practitioners presented muscle imbalance in the vastus medialis-vastus lateralis and vastus lateralis-biceps femoris, and poor alignment of the knee with the toes in TC lunge. Additionally, they adaptively developed rigid coordination strategies, showing higher levels of lower limb muscle co-contraction and activity compared to controls. Training programs for TC practitioners with knee pain should be designed to modify both abnormal muscle synergy patterns and incorrect lunge during TC, which may improve exercise safety.

Effects of food-borne cholesterol supplementation on lead-induced neurodevelopmental impairments of rats based on BDNF signaling pathway and cholesterol metabolism.

Despite the ubiquity and prevalence of lead (Pb) in the environment and industry, the mechanism of lead-induced neurotoxicity in the brain remains unclear, let alone its prevention and treatment. In this study, we hypothesized that exogenous cholesterol supplementation acts as an effective remedy for lead-induced neurodevelopmental impairments caused by lead. Forty 21-day-old male rats were randomly divided into four groups and administered 0.1 % lead water and/or 2 % cholesterol-containing feed for 30 d. Ultimately, rats in the lead group lost weight, accompanied by spatial learning and memory impairments as verified by the Morris water maze test, in which the escape latency of rats was prolonged, and the number of crossings in the target platform and the residence time in the target quadrant were significantly diminished compared to the control group. Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining and Nissl staining illustrated that typical pathological morphology occurred in the brain tissue of the lead group, where the tissue structure was loose, the number of hippocampal neurons and granulosa cells decreased significantly and were arranged loosely, along with enlarged intercellular space, light matrix staining, and decline in Nissl bodies. In addition, inflammatory response and oxidative stress were significantly induced by lead. Immunofluorescence experiments showed apparent activation of astrocytes and microglia, followed by the enhancement of TNF-α and IL-ß levels. Moreover, the MDA content in the lead group was elevated dramatically, whereas the activities of SOD and GSH were significantly inhibited. As for the mechanism, western blot and qRT-PCR experiments were performed, where lead could significantly inhibit the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway, lowering the protein expression of BDNF and TrkB. Cholesterol metabolism was also affected by lead exposure, in which cholesterol metabolism-related protein expression and gene transcription, including SREBP2, HMGCR, and LDLR, were downregulated. However, cholesterol supplementation efficiently detoxified the negative effects of lead-induced neurotoxicity, reversing the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, inactivation of the BDNF signaling pathway, and imbalance of cholesterol metabolism, thus improving the learning and memory ability of rats. In brief, our study demonstrated that cholesterol supplementation could ameliorate the deficiency of learning and memory induced by lead, which is closely associated with the initiation of the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway and regulation of cholesterol metabolism.

Effect of trigger point acupuncture on pain and functional activity in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Trigger point (TrP) acupuncture is commonly used to treat chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP). Evidence for the efficacy of most TrP acupuncture modalities is weak or lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of TrP acupuncture on pain, disability, gait and muscle activation in patients with CNLBP. METHODS: From May 2019 to February 2020, a randomised, single-blind clinical trial was carried out involving 33 participants with CNLBP, divided into one of two intervention groups or a control group (n = 11 per group). The intervention groups received TrP acupuncture or traditional acupuncture treatment three times a week for 4 weeks, and the control group remained on a waiting list and received no treatment. Pain, disability, gait and muscle activation were assessed at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, the three groups showed no significant differences in age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) or disease course (p ⩾ 0.05). At 4 weeks, pain was relieved (measured by visual analogue scores, p = 0.036) and disability was improved (reflected by lower Oswestry disability index scores, p = 0.029) in TrP acupuncture versus waiting list groups. Moreover, lumbar extension range of motion was increased in TrP acupuncture versus both traditional acupuncture and waiting list groups (p = 0.029 and p = 0.027, respectively). At 8 weeks, there were no significant differences in any parameter between the three groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TrP acupuncture had a significant short-term effect on pain relief and disability in patients with CNLBP, but there was no evidence of a long-term influence (at 8 weeks following the intervention). Further high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed for verification in the future.Trial registration number: ChiCTR1900022838 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry).

Orchestrated Cytosolic Delivery of Antigen and Adjuvant by Manganese Ion-Coordinated Nanovaccine for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy.

Cancer vaccines have received tremendous attention in cancer immunotherapy due to their capability to induce a tumor-specific immune response. However, their effectiveness is compromised by the insufficient spatiotemporal delivery of antigens and adjuvants in the subcellular level to induce a robust CD8+ T cell response. Herein, a cancer nanovaccine G5-pBA/OVA@Mn is prepared through multiple interactions of manganese ions (Mn2+), benzoic acid (BA)-modified fifth generation polyamidoamine (G5-PAMAM) dendrimer, and the model protein antigen ovalbumin (OVA). In the nanovaccine, Mn2+ not only exerts a structural function to assist OVA loading as well as its endosomal escape, but works as an adjuvant of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. These collaboratively facilitate the orchestrated codelivery of OVA antigen and Mn2+ into cell cytoplasm. Vaccination with G5-pBA/OVA@Mn not only shows a prophylactic effect, but also significantly inhibits growth against B16-OVA tumors, indicating its great potential for cancer immunotherapy.

Artemidubolides A-T, cytotoxic unreported guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid dimers against three hepatoma cell lines from Artemisia dubia.

A random bioassay revealed that the EtOH extract and EtOAc fraction of Artemisia dubia Wall. (Asteraceae) exhibited cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells with inhibitory ratios of 57.1% and 84.2% at a concentration of 100.0 µg/mL. Bio-guided isolation combined by LC-MS-IT-TOF analyses of the active fractions led to the isolation of 20 previously undescribed guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid dimers named artemidubolides A-T (1-20). Their structures and the absolute configurations were determined by comprehensive spectral analyses, comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD spectra, and seven compounds (artemidubolides A, B, D, F, K, O and R) were confirmed unequivocally by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Structurally, artemidubolides A-Q were [4 + 2] Diels-Alder adducts of two monomeric guaianolides, and artemidubolides R-T were linked though an ester bond. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their hepatomatic cytotoxicity against HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep-1 cell lines to demonstrate that 18 compounds exhibited obvious cytotoxicity against three tested hepatoma cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 5.4-87.6 µM. Importantly, artemidubolides B, D, and M exhibited hepatoma cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 5.4, 5.7, and 9.7 (HepG2), 8.2, 4.3, and 12.2 (Huh7), and 13.4, 8.4, and 12.9 µM (SK-Hep-1), respectively. Mechanism investigation in HepG2 cells suggested the most active artemidubolide D dose-dependently inhibited cell migration and invasion, induced G1/M cell cycle arrest by down-regulating proteins CDK4, CDK6 and CyclinD1 and up-regulating the level of protein P21; and induced apoptosis by down-regulated of PARP-1 and BCL-2 expression and up-regulating Bax and cleaved PARP-1 levels.

Efficacy and safety of modified Bushen Yiqi formulas (MBYF) as an add-on to formoterol and budesonide in the management of COPD: study protocol for a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial: FB-MBYF Trial.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled glucocorticoid corticosteroid (ICS), long-acting ß2-adrenoceptor agonist (LABA), and other drugs have limited therapeutic effects on COPD with significant individual differences. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-modified Bushen Yiqi formula (MBYF) demonstrates advantages in COPD management in China. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MBYF as an add-on to budesonide/formoterol in COPD patients and confirm the related genes affecting the therapeutic effect in the treatment of COPD. METHODS: In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, eligible patients with COPD will randomly receive a 360-day placebo or MBYF as an adjuvant to budesonide/formoterol in a 1:1 ratio and be followed up with every 2 months. The primary outcomes will be the frequency, times, and severity of acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD), COPD assessment test (CAT) score, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The secondary outcomes will include the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale, 6-min walking test (6MWT), BODE index, quantitative scores of syndromes classified in TCM, inflammation indices, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenaline (HPA) axis function. We will also test the genotype to determine the relationship between drugs and efficacy. All the data will be recorded in case report forms (CRFs) and analysed by SPSS V.20.0. DISCUSSION: A randomized clinical trial design to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MBYF in COPD is described. The results will provide evidence for the combination therapy of modern medicine and TCM medicine, and individual therapy for COPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ID:  ChiCTR1900026124 , Prospective registration.

Dual activity of Serratia marcescens Pt-3 in phosphate-solubilizing and production of antifungal volatiles.

BACKGROUND: Soil fertility decline and pathogen infection are severe issues for crop production all over the world. Microbes as inherent factors in soil were effective in alleviating fertility decrease, promoting plant growth and controlling plant pathogens et al. Thus, screening microbes with fertility improving and pathogen controlling properties is of great importance to humans. RESULTS: Bacteria Pt-3 isolated from tea rhizosphere showed multiple functions in solubilizing insoluble phosphate, promoting plant growth, producing abundant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and inhibiting the growth of important fungal pathogens in vitro. According to the 16S rRNA phylogenetic and biochemical analysis, Pt-3 was identified to be Serratia marcescens. The solubilizing zone of Pt-3 in the medium of lecithin and Ca3(PO4)2 was 2.1 cm and 1.8 cm respectively. In liquid medium and soil, the concentration of soluble phosphorus reached 343.9 mg.L- 1, and 3.98 mg.kg- 1, and significantly promoted the growth of maize seedling, respectively. Moreover, Pt-3 produced abundant volatiles and greatly inhibited the growth of seven important phytopathogens. The inhibition rate ranged from 75.51 to 100% respectively. Solid phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry proved that the antifungal volatile was dimethyl disulfide. Dimethyl disulfide can inhibit the germination of Aspergillus flavus, and severely destroy the cell structures under scanning electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: S. marcescens Pt-3 with multiple functions will provide novel agent for the production of bioactive fertilizer with P-solubilizing and fungal pathogens control activity.

Effects of Warm Needle Acupuncture on Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are a common and prevalent disease with main symptoms of pain, joint sounds, and mandibular movement disorders, which seriously affects the mental health and quality of life of the sufferers. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of studies utilizing warm needle acupuncture (WNA) for the treatment of TMD, and the quality of the studies has gradually improved. However, evidence from evidence-based medicine is lacking. This study aims to use a systematic review and meta-analysis method to understand the efficacy of WNA for the treatment of TMD. Methods and Analysis. We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of WNA for the treatment of TMD from 9 electronic databases, including 5 English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and MEDLINE) and 4 Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM)) from their inception to May 2021. The included RCTs compared WNA with acupuncture, electroacupuncture, pharmacological therapy, or other therapies. And outcome indicators such as total effective rate and cure rate were assessed. All analyses were conducted using RevMan software V5.3 and Stata16. Measurement count data used the relative risk (RR) as the efficacy statistic, and each effect size was given its point estimate value and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 10 studies with a total of 670 patients, which included 340 patients in the experimental group and 330 patients in the control group. The data in this review showed that WNA is superior to treatments such as acupuncture alone, acupuncture therapy combined with TDP, drug therapy, and ultrasonic therapy in terms of effective rate (RR = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.35; and P = 0.003) and cure rate (RR = 1.82; 95% CI, 1.46 to 2.28; and P < 0.00001) for the treatment of TMD. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis provides new evidence for the effectiveness of WNA for the treatment of TMD. However, the above conclusions need to be further verified by multicenter prospective studies of larger samples and higher-quality RCTs. Protocol registration number: INPLASY202160030.

Artemicapillasins A-N, cytotoxic coumaric acid analogues against hepatic stellate cell LX2 from Artemisia capillaris (Yin-Chen).

Under the guidance of bioassay against HSC-LX2, the EtOH extract and the EtOAc fraction of Artemisia capillaris (Yin-Chen) exhibited cytotoxic activity against HSC-LX2 with inhibitory ratios of 39.7% and 68.7% at the concentration of 400.0 µg/mL. Bioassay-guided investigation of Fr. D (the active fraction) yielded 14 new coumaric acid analogues, artemicapillasins A-N (1-14). The structures of the isolates were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses involving UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra and ECD calculations. Cytotoxic activity against HSC-LX2 cells of these isolates was performed to reveal that 12 compounds demonstrated cytotoxicity with inhibitory ratios more than 50% at 400 µM. The most active artemicapillasin B (2) gave an IC50 value of 24.5 µM, which was about 7 times more toxic than the positive drug silybin (IC50, 162.3 µM). Importantly, artemicapillasin B (2) showed significant inhibition on the deposition of human collagen type I (Col I), human laminin (HL) and human hyaluronic acid (HA) with IC50 values of 11.0, 14.4 and 13.8 µM, which was about 7, 11 and 5 times more active than silybin. Artemicapillasin B (2) as an interesting antihepatic fibrosis candidate is worth in-depth study.

Efficacy and central mechanism of acupuncture treatment in patients with neck pain: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is effective for reducing the symptoms of neck pain (NP). However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Based on evaluating the efficacy of two acupuncture prescriptions for treating NP, this study aims to investigate the potential central mechanism of acupuncture treatment for NP by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS: This is a randomized controlled trial; 86 patients will be randomly assigned into two acupuncture treatment groups at a ratio of 1:1. The whole study period includes 2 weeks baseline, 2 weeks treatments, and 12 weeks follow-up (4 and 12 weeks after treatment). The pain severity, the neck disability index, the cervical range of motion, and the pressure pain threshold, etc., will be used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of two acupuncture prescriptions for NP treatment. The MRI scans will be performed to detect cerebral activity changes of 20 patients in each group. The clinical data and MRI data will be analyzed, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient will be used to evaluate the association between changes of cerebral activity features and improvement of clinical symptoms. DISCUSSION: The results will provide further evidence for the clinical application of acupuncture in the treatment of NP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000040930 . Registered on 16 December 2020.

Artematrovirenins A-P, guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids with cytotoxicities against two hepatoma cell lines from Artemisia atrovirens.

Random screening revealed that the EtOH extract of Artemisia atrovirens showed significant cytotoxicity against two human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7) with the inhibitory ratio of 98.9% and 99.7% at the concentration of 100 µg/mL. Further bioactivity-guided isolation of active fraction led to 16 new guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids, artematrovirenins A-P (1-16). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data. The absolute stereochemistry of compounds 1 and 14 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Pharmacological evaluation suggested that five compounds (3, 5, 8, 10, and 15) exhibited cytotoxicity, compounds 3 and 5 displayed cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell line with an IC50 values of 8.0 and 16.0 µM, as well as against Huh7 cell line with values of 18.2 and 32.2 µM.

Research Trends from 2010 to 2020 for Pain Treatment with Acupuncture: A Bibliometric Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Given that acupuncture treatment for pain has gradually been accepted by researchers from various countries. However, few bibliometric analyses have been performed on the published articles. The objective of this research was to review its application for pain in recent 10 years and analyze, demonstrate and evaluate the trends, major research hotspots and frontier areas. METHODS: The Web of Science retrieved literature from 2010 to 2020 on acupuncture for pain. The CiteSpace and Excel were used to analyze annual volumes of publications, journals, cited journals, countries, institutions, authors, cited authors, references and keywords and to draw collaborative networks and reference co-citation network maps. RESULTS: The search finally included 4227 related studies. Results show that the number of annual publications has been increasing gradually. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med (366) was the most productive journal, while Pain (2270/0.04) ranked first in terms of frequency and centrality of cited journals, respectively. Among countries/institutions, the China (1252) and the Kyung Hee University (228) ranked first. Lee MS (51 articles) was the most effective author while MacPherson H (577) was the most cited author. The most frequently cited reference was a systematic review of individual patient data on acupuncture for chronic pain (322). "Burden" was identified as a frontier research item for 2017-2020. CONCLUSION: This study provides a new and in-depth understanding of current acupuncture used for the treatment of pain. We anticipate that this study will stimulate international cooperation among research teams to advance the field.

Acupuncture for neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Neck pain causes serious social and economic burden. Research on the use of acupuncture for managing cervical spondylosis has increased over time, with the quality of studies showing an improved trend. The present study seeks to use a systematic review approach to understand efficacy and safety of acupuncture for treatment of neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese BioMedical Literature, Wanfang database and VIP databases, from their inception to July 2020, to identify and retrieve all randomised controlled trials, describing the use of acupuncture for treatment of cervical spondylosis. Thereafter, two reviewers will independently select the studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias. Any disagreements, between them, will be resolved through a discussion with a third reviewer. Data synthesis and statistical analyses will be performed using the Revman V.5.3 software. Specifically, data will be synthesised by either fixed-effects (heterogeneity less than 50%) or random-effects models, following a heterogeneity test, with outcome measures focusing on pain intensity, functional disability, psychological improvements and adverse events. In cases where no considerable heterogeneity is detected, a meta-analysis will be conducted. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval will be required for this study, since it does not infringe on anyone's interests. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated through conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020152379.